


Come for the Paycheck, Stay for the Company

by WriteItSmall (scribblemyname)



Series: Comment Fic LiveJournal Stories [189]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Benefits, Clint Made a Different Call, Community: comment_fic, Gen, Making Friends, Natasha Romanov Backstory, Negotiations, Recruitment, SHIELD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-12
Updated: 2015-01-12
Packaged: 2018-03-07 07:39:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 319
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3166844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scribblemyname/pseuds/WriteItSmall
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Widow scrunched up nose thoughtfully, then flicked an eyebrow in some vastly understated equivalent of a shrug and held out her carton long enough for Barton to take the eggroll. "The cash flow must be pleasant. A steady income, no surprises. The Red Room paid room and board."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Come for the Paycheck, Stay for the Company

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Leni](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leni/gifts).



> Prompt by leni_ba on the LJ Comment Fic community: [any. any. the grass is always greener on the other side.](http://comment-fic.livejournal.com/573958.html?thread=80249606#t80249606)

The last thing Coulson really expected to see an hour after Hawkeye warned him he was going off comms was his asset sprawled across the grass next to a daintily perched Black Widow while the two ate Chinese takeout and shot the breeze about their respective organizations, SHIELD and "whoever I feel like."  
  
"Yeah, but do you really _feel_ like any of them?" Barton asked as he poked at her uneaten eggroll, as if she wasn't a trained assassin known for taking a hand off for less. "Or do you just like the paycheck?"  
  
The Widow scrunched up nose thoughtfully, then flicked an eyebrow in some vastly understated equivalent of a shrug and held out her carton long enough for Barton to take the eggroll. "The cash flow must be pleasant. A steady income, no surprises. The Red Room paid room and board."  
  
Barton acknowledged with an actual shoulder shrug. "You get to make your own rules."  
  
"You have backup."  
  
"You can choose your own backup," Barton countered.  
  
Her mouth froze, half-open to take in another bite of fried rice. She frowned. "You can't?"  
  
"You can keep a good S.O. once you get one. I like mine." Barton grinned. "He's probably spying on us."  
  
The Widow narrowed her gaze in the direction of Coulson's car. He wanted to shift a little under the scrutiny, even knowing her odds of actually seeing him were slim.  
  
"Hm." She finished her bite of fried rice. "Dental?" A faint hopeful note in her tone.  
  
Barton's grin widened. "Check."  
  
"Paid vacation?"  
  
"Check."  
  
"Pick my partner?" She batted her eyelashes up at Barton.  
  
"At a high enough level."  
  
"Which you are?"  
  
Barton nodded.  
  
She nodded back. "As long as the application form is fewer than ten pages."  
  
"I'm sure we can do that. Right, Coulson?" Barton grinned in the direction of Coulson's car.  
  
Coulson resisted the urge to strangle his asset with his tie.


End file.
